The quality and cleanliness of endfaces of optical-fiber connectors represent important factors for achieving adequate system performance of optical communication networks. Indeed, any contamination of or damage on the mating surface of an optical-fiber connector may severely degrade signal integrity. Optical-fiber connector inspection microscopes are commonly employed to visually inspect the endface of an optical-fiber connector at installation or during maintenance of optical communication networks, in order to verify the quality of the optical-fiber connection.
Some optical-fiber inspection microscope probes also include a separate power detection port which allows the operator to measure the optical power of light exiting the optical-fiber connector. The operator is therefore required to sequentially connect the optical-fiber connector under inspection to the inspection microscope port and to the power detection port. Of course, additional handling of optical-fiber connectors increases the risk of potential contamination of the connector endface.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,908,167 to Flora et al. proposes an optical-fiber inspection microscope configuration that includes an integrated optical power measurement assembly such that visual inspection and power measurement may be conducted using the same port. However, Flora et al. only addresses the optical power measurement of light exiting perpendicularly-polished optical-fiber connectors, for which light is known to exit along the normal of the connector endface.
Although existing optical-fiber inspection microscope probes are satisfactory to a certain degree, there remains room for improvement, particularly in terms of providing a fiber inspection microscope system having integrated optical power measurement, which is configured to inspect angle-polished optical-fiber connectors.